Saturday, 31 January 2015

Someone once asked me why I write. It
took me a long time to figure out how to explain it. There is a
drive, a passion to write. It's a need, much like hunger or thirst.
You can sate it temporarily, but it never truly goes away. Yet there
is so much more to writing. It's so much a part of me that I spent
months trying to describe it in a way others would understand. I
finally realised how simple an answer it really is. I write for the
same reason I breathe; because it is impossible for me to survive if
I don't.

Now that's not to say I would
physically die if I stop writing. My body would survive, but I would
not. If I cease writing, who I am will change. I would become someone
far darker, far colder, and far less sane than I am now.

Writing is my passion. But like
breathing, it is so much more than a choice. I can control my breath,
at least for a while. I can make myself breathe faster or slower. I
can breathe deeply, or take shallow puffs of air. I can even choose
not to breathe. Well, for a while at least. Eventually though, my
chest hurts. My lungs burn. My eyes start to water, and my face turns
red. Then, at some point instinct takes over, and I breathe again.

Even if I managed to maintain control,
eventually, I would pass out. The moment that happens, my body takes
over. Breathing becomes automatic. It doesn't require thought or
control. It happens all on its own. Air moves in and out of my lungs.
It happens as naturally and easily as, well, as breathing.

In a major way, I can control my
writing too. I can write more or less. I can choose when I write,
how much attention I pay to it, the topic I choose. I control
(mostly) what words I write, what colour I write in, and how often I
place my pen against paper. I can even choose to stop writing, at
least for a while.

But there are side effects. I begin to
feel on edge. I feel tired and drained. Dealing with the emotions of
the day exhausts me. I'm more likely to end up depressed. I'm more
irritable. I don't sleep as well. I experience more panic attacks.
Eventually, I feel like crawling out of my own skin.

And then, instinct takes over. Stories
pound in my head; voices invade my days. I catch myself singing songs
that have never been written, words that flow but slip from my memory
minutes later. I may be able to stop myself from physically writing
anything on paper, but I cannot completely prevent myself from
writing. It happens anyway. It's beyond my control, often beyond my
awareness. Writing is automatic. It's instinct, the way breathing is.

I write for the same reason I breathe;
because it is impossible to survive if I don't, because I simply
cannot stop. Instinct takes over. I write, because I breathe.

Tuesday, 27 January 2015

It is on this momentous occasion, that I get to join these two friends in the bounds of ... Blogging.

We have been best friends since the beginning of our children's lives, it's about time that we actually did something we love together. Our passions are so different, that it was hard to think about them meshing well, then it hit Lisa upside the head, like a big stick. We both spin a yarn, just in different mediums, her medium being words, and mine being fiber.

We are each other's Google search, if I need to know something, I call her, and she does the same. When things go missing, Lisa always asks me, as I have a knack for finding stuff in her house, without ever being there. If only I could find my own missing items. We are a matched pair, and I hope you all can handle that. My sense of humor can be caustic, which is often off putting, and worries me, as I don't intend to leave people out. My lifetime theory is, if I don't care about you, or know you well enough, you will not be on the receiving end of my humor in person, otherwise, get used to it. There are a few exceptions to my rule, there are a small number of people who do not take my sense of humor well, and they are given a pass, but Lisa will never be one of those people.

A bit more about me, Knitting and Spinning are not my only crafts, I also enjoy cross stitch, and am currently working on a large one of a woman and a wolf, it's almost black and white, mostly shades of grey, with a small greenish tint in places, it's a real challenge between knitting projects. I started it when all my projects were mindless repeats of the same patterns, Then recently started with a new batch of projects, they seem to come in sets, and I actually have to focus on these patterns. My brain is all of a sudden in a different place than it was a month ago, and I haven't touched the cross stitch. It will be beautiful when I finish, but for now, it waits.

Monday, 26 January 2015

Changes are coming. Lizzie's Scribes is now Spin A Tale. I've been joined by Danielle Strasdin!

Who are we?
I'm Lisa Messier. I'm an author, wife, and mother of three girls. I adore my family. I have a passion for words. I write for the same reason I breathe, and I have a love of music and corsetry.

Danielle Strasdin is one of my best friends. Also a mother of three, we've been best friends since our oldest kids were born. Highly creative and motivated, Danielle shares a passion for knitting with her Oma, and she has the talent to spin her own yarn as well!

We'd love to have you come along on our new journey as Danielle spins her yarn, and I spin you a yarn! We'll explore our crafts, and share our lives, thoughts, and joys with you.

Saturday, 10 January 2015

I just wanted to remind everyone to follow your dreams. Find your passion and never let it go. You can achieve great things if you never give up. You can find your dreams - even the ones you didnt dare to dream - coming true and changing your life.

Yesterday, I recieved a paperback copy of my debut novel, The Spark. It's beautiful. I can't explain the feeling I have holding it in my hands and flipping through the pages. It's a dream I was never brave enough to really admit to, but it's here. I've seen this passion come to life, and change my life. I see myself differently. I see the world around me differently. I know more about myself than I did before I started this journey, and it has been one amazing ride. Thank you to those who have taken it with me. I have no words.